Fresh Spinach Pasta Salad

Culinary Tools:

  • Chef’s Knife
  • 8-inch Gourmet Skillet
  • 5-quart Mixing Bowl
  • 4-quart Dutch Oven with Cover
  • Junior Colander

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
  • ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes in oil
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • ½ pound baby spinach
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
  • ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
  • 7 ounces tri-color rotini pasta
  • Salt to taste

Procedure:

Using the Chef’s Knife, chop the basil and thinly slice the sun dried tomatoes. Preheat the 8-inch Gourmet Skillet at medium heat for 2 minutes. Place the pine nuts and toast them for 4 minutes or until lightly brown, stir constantly. In 5-quart Mixing Bowl, combine all ingredients well, except for the pasta.

Fill ¾ of the 4-quart Dutch Oven with water; cover and cook at medium-high heat with the Redy-cook valve open. When the valve whistles (12 minutes approximately), add the rotini pasta and salt to taste. Turn heat to medium and cook pasta for 7 to 11 minutes or until done. Using the Junior Colander, drain the cooked pasta. Let it cool before mixing with the other ingredients; season salad to taste.